This week and last week in ED 307, we discussed Constructivism. As suggested by the name, constructivism is when we construct meaning for new concepts, ideas, words, etc. based on what we already know.
When I think of constructivism, I think of my high school biology teacher. He was known for starting the first day of school by saying, "I'm not going to spoon-feed you the information. You will use your brain to figure things out." Back then, that would always make me angry because, traditionally, the teacher would tell us exactly what we would need to memorize in order to pass a test. We weren't truly learning. However, in his classroom, we would apply what we already knew to figure out problems and learn new concepts. Of course, we would get some things wrong, but we were learning in the process. He guided us to what we needed to know, rather than outright saying what we needed to know. One item we discussed with this module was the PAR Model. This model is three steps - Present, Apply, Review. You present new information, you provide the students with the opportunity to apply that information, and then you review what you just learned. I definitely will be utilizing this model when I begin teaching in the classroom! Check out my presentation on Zentation for more information on Constructivism.
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This week in ED 307, we learned about the flipped classroom. The flipped classroom is where students learn new concepts or ideas in a subject area (what is typically referred to as a "lecture") outside of the classroom, and then complete what would have typically been their homework in the classroom. In other words, the lecture and homework times have been flipped.
We researched the different misconceptions of the flipped classroom. One that resonated with me is the fact that capturing a lecture on video is not the only way to "flip" the classroom. Until I had really researched it for this assignment, I thought that was really the only way to achieve a flipped classroom. However, after researching and thinking, do most college courses not already employ the flipped classroom model? The professors expect the students to read the textbook material beforehand, and then come to class prepared to discuss what they have read and learned. With the flipped classroom, it is imperative that teachers make their material engaging and interactive. It will be very easy for a lecture video to just become background noise for a student if the content is neither engaging nor interactive. Overall, I really enjoyed learning about the flipped classroom. Check out my video for even more about the flipped classroom! Over the past several years, there has been a lot of talk around 21st Century Skills. But, just what are 21st Century Skills? 21st century skills are, essentially, the skills one needs to acquire and master in order to be successful in the modern workplace. According to the website for Partnership for 21st Century Learning, the critical skills needed be successful in the 21st century and beyond include “mastery in key subjects and 21st century themes; learning and innovation skills; life and career skills; and information, media, and technology skills.” Skills under the umbrella of key subjects and 21st century themes, as well as information, media, and technology skills, could be described as being skills which are learned through school; this would include skills such as literacy in mathematics or reading and literacy with new and different types of media and technology. However, learning and innovation skills and life and career skills could be considered to be more so applied skills, meaning they are skills that they acquire and develop from putting their basic knowledge into practice. This would include skills such as collaboration with colleagues and leadership.
As society evolves, so does the workplace and the needs of the community, and so should education. Education should prepare students to become a productive member of the society in which we live. As a future educator, I believe it is important that educators evolve their own way of thinking and teaching in a way that allows students to acquire and develop these 21st century skills. It is important that educators recognize what employers are stating are necessary skills in the workplace (both basic and applied skills) and present students a variety of different outlets to develop these skills. If educators are unable to develop and grow professionally, then they could potentially hinder a student’s ability to enter and be successful in the workforce. Students:
Do you ever wish you could eat fast food for lunch everyday? Well, what would you think if our school cafeteria served fast food for lunch everyday? I want you to think about the pros (positives) and cons (negatives) of serving fast food. After you think about those points, decide whether or not you think it would be a good idea for the school to serve fast food for lunch. For your response, you will write a five paragraph essay in your writing journal about whether or not you think serving fast food for lunch would be a good idea or a bad one. Be sure to support your opinion with specific reasons. Responses are due in your writing journal by Friday, April 29th. |
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